What's your personal canon (again)?

[hleV]

That's why it should always be specified what one is referring to by saying "canon". Usually it's "everything that actually happened in AT's original story - the manga", but some people will assume that it's just the DB media they like, or treat "canon" as anime-canon rather than manga-canon.

Surely most "battle power" or "versus" discutants will agree that it's the manga that everyone should be referring to (unless discussing the in-universe of a specific movie/filler/media), but what happens when a certain media seemingly doesn't contradict the manga, is made by AT, is partially made by AT, is possibly made by AT, some of it is made by AT but it's unknown what exactly, and/or is liked by AT? Over 9000 different opinions. So, it without a doubt would help if in discussions, people mainly referred to the manga, and then, if they believe some other media shall be included, specified the media and added additional thoughts there.

[Cold Skin]

I wouldn't say there is one canon I accept while I completely reject the others, I think there are sort of "levels" of acceptance I draw based on a certain logic, but also based on some personnal preferences I must say.
Hence the fact that this is absolutely not a chart of how a fan of Dragon Ball should feel and it's not how I'll present things to someone unfamiliar with the franchise, just how I perceive and feel about it all because it's fine with me that way.

My N°1 "original canon" level includes the manga as the full-color edition, Battle of Gods and I leave a potential open door to movie 9 and 13 to a lesser extent (if I make someone read the manga for the first time, I will surely imply that they'll still be "somehow missing a chapter" if they don't see Battle of Gods, but I might present movie 9 and 13 as only "bonus chapters" they can freely choose to see or skip).

My N°2 "adapted canon" level includes the anime as Kai, but I also take the TV Anime Comics into consideration - albeit with less importance and as another kind of adaptation - and can't decide once and for all if I also let the Anime Comics be part of my "this is the true adaptation for me" canon. Basically, Kai comes first as an adaptation, followed by the TV Anime Comics as a secondary, alternative adaptation.

My N°3 "impossible add-ons canon" level includes all other Dragon Ball movies, which can't be placed into the original storyline for various reasons, but they're still enjoyable extra adventures.

My N°4, lowest "possible continuations/extensions based on Dragon Ball, but somehow out of Dragon Ball and not to be taken into serious consideration" includes GT, Heroes and Dragon Ball Online.

[RandomGuy96]

Nothing I have as part of my "personal canon" contradicts anything, except maybe Movie 1 and the subsequent filler arc... well the manga also contradicts itself and has quite a few plotholes, but that's about it.

[Zephyr]

I think I see evidence for the contrary in this thread.

I'm not seeing anyone try and fit the manga version and the anime version of the Trunks side story into the same continuity, or anything analogous to that.

[Insertclevername]

I also consider all the cast designs from GT to be canon.

Yes, that includes the moostache.

[Tyro]

I'm not seeing anyone try and fit the manga version and the anime version of the Trunks side story into the same continuity, or anything analogous to that.

Is that not your position, stated on page 1? Regardless, it was just an example of the type of generalizing or compiling of the series that I take issue with. If you're saying that you LIKE both, as I've said, be my guest. But they tell different versions of the same story and there is just no brushing that under the rug; one must yield to the other in one way or another. If we were having a discussion you would have to choose one scenario to be true or just be listing general outcomes of a scene- either he was a SSj while training with base Gohan or he first transformed because of the rage he felt precisely due to Gohan's murder.

You can keep everything under one roof by claiming alternate timelines or universes or whatever, but all you're doing at that point is delaying the inevitable and changing some definitions. If everything ever made by another official company relating to the story of Dragonball is now "canon" then instead of arguing what is or isn't canon (i.e. what is or isn't reliable information to be believed) the discussion switches to what timeline or universe you're then talking about. It's all muddy, nasty logic that I see no place for.

It's just so frustratingly obvious that you can't have a canon composed of these separate titles if you expect to have any sort of discussion. Imagine if I were to say to you just now that my personal canon of the Harry Potter series consists of the movies (because they really capture the magic (the irony isn't lost on me) more than the books in my fake honest opinion) and the Lego HP games because the dungeons were pretty cool. To say such nonsense would be to remove myself immediately from being taken seriously and I would probably suffer from the ill-hidden laughter from others.

I say look towards the rules for a prime example:

Rule #4: Tone & Emphasis
Be respectful of your peers. While maintained exclusively in English, this is truly a global community with fans from all walks of life. Your opinions must be expressed with civility. Please understand that with so many aspects and products of the franchise in existence, it is possible (and likely) that many will come under close scrutiny. Be realistic and pay attention to what is actually being discussed and argued; realize that when inanimate objects are being criticized, it is not a personal attack on you, and “playing the victim” will not be tolerated. Additionally, it must be recognized that fans can and will be (possibly primarily) familiar with all sorts of different versions (or “re-versionings”, if you will) of the franchise. However, emphasis will be placed on the original Japanese version, as it is the single “global” version that can be enjoyed by all, and is the primary focus of Kanzenshuu as a whole. Furthermore, certain regional-specific spellings and quirks may automatically be adjusted by the forum to reflect this global perspective.

All I'm asking for is a general consensus/rule of thumb similar to the one above. Emphasis will be placed on the original Japanese manga, as it is the single "global" version that can be fairly discussed and enjoyed by all.

[Saiyan Prince Vegeta]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the Guidebooks! I'm too lazy to list stuff.

Guide books only help establish manga info. I consider them part of the manga set up.

Yeah this. Anything from the guidebooks that fit with what I consider canon, will be what I fit in with my canon.

[Zephyr]

I'm not seeing anyone try and fit the manga version and the anime version of the Trunks side story into the same continuity, or anything analogous to that.

Is that not your position, stated on page 1?

Negative. I was saying the anime version of the Trunks story, and only the anime version.

And I don't see what your point is. We aren't trying to use these personal canons in strength debates and the like. Nobody is trying to say that anything but the japanese version of the manga holds much, if any, grounds in strength debates. The manga is the most solid part of any canon. Any thing that one wishes to add to manga in their personal canon may result in plot holes, contradictions, or other headaches, but trying to rationalize such headaches is part of the fun. And again, these fan-rationalizations of said headaches aren't being used in in-universe debates, only the manga is used for those.

[Travis Touchdown]

I was thinking today that I should specify a bit more on my personal canons.

While I personally view the anime as an extension of the manga, and therefore feel it takes precedents over it, I know I'm a rare breed in that line of thought. Because of that, whenever I note an event that's happened in the Dragon Ball story to a community like this one, I always refer to the manga since it's the most accepted resource.

My Expanded Universe canon is definitely exclusive to me (as I doubt anyone agrees with what all I posted ) and I basically tried to squeeze in as much as I could make sense out of. I can fit just about everything with the exception of all four Dragon Ball movies, The Return of Cooler, and Fusion Reborn. I'm one of the bunch that considers Dr. Slump a part of Dragon World, so I consider the original Dr. Slump canon with the original Dragon Ball, but not knowing much about it outside of the manga, I can't speak for the Dr. Slump movies.

I separate Kai as by itself basically for whenever I chat Dragon Ball with my fiance and I don't want to get her too confused. I successfully got her interested in Dragon Ball through Kai, prior to which she had no interest in whatsoever. I won't be getting her involved in Dragon Ball, the original Dragon Ball Z, nor Dragon Ball GT. She's aware that they're there, but she just doesn't have any interest. For one, it's a staggering amount of content, which I understand. Also, she doesn't like how censored the dub is in comparison to Kai. It's not like Kai is R-rated by any means, but its language is a bit more "adult" for lack of a better term. (For those remotely curious, her favorite character is Piccolo.) Also, since New Dr. Slump features Goku as a kid, and we don't get a whole lot of info on Goku as a kid in Kai, I figured I could fit New Dr. Slump in before Kai without any errors.

[Bussani]

It's literally impossible for anything to be "non-canon", not the other way around.

I think someone's as free to think of something as "non-canon" as you are to think of it as "canon", personally. Making any rules about what can or should make things one or the other just makes the whole thing pointless in my eyes, since the only constructive use for the term is to define which bits of media you're considering in your train of thought at any given moment.

[Elton Stryker]

Pc Engine Dragon Ball Z Idainaru Son Goku Desentsu cutscenes
Movie Overview special Gohan and Goku scenes
Original Nippon Ijin Taishô
Dragon Ball Vrvs scenes in another universe
Dragon Boy
Go Go Ackman
Goku in New Dr.Slump

[Nikkolas]

Uh, can my personal canon just be the first part of Dragonball? Everything up to the 23rd Tournament is canon, including anime filler.